Question

Which of the following methods should an EKG technician use to calculate a patient's heart rate from an EKG tracing?

a) Count the number of QRS complexes in a 6-second strip and multiply by 10
b) Count the number of P waves in a 3-second strip and multiply by 20
c) Measure the PR interval duration and calculate the heart rate based on it
d) Measure the QT interval duration and calculate the heart rate based on it

Answer 1

The right method to calculate heart rate from an EKG is to count the QRS complexes in a 6-second strip and multiply by 10, representing one full cardiac cycle per heartbeat.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate a patient's heart rate from an EKG tracing, the correct method would be option (a): Count the number of QRS complexes in a 6-second strip and multiply by 10. This method is reliable because the QRS complex represents a full cardiac cycle, indicating one heartbeat. Neither the number of P waves nor measuring the PR or QT intervals will directly indicate heart rate as P waves relate to atrial depolarization and PR/QT intervals are measurements of time for electrical conduction, not beats.